Desert Lily
by SnowLion no Miko
Summary: Kail didn't know when it happened, but that boyish woman ended up finding her way into his heart and staying there. He can't bear the thought that one day she could be torn away from him. KailYuri, oneshot


_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Red River._

_**Summary: Kail didn't know when it happened, but that boyish woman ended up finding her way into his heart and staying there. He can't bear the thought that one day she could be torn away from him. KailYuri, oneshot**_

_Alrighty! This manga is one of my favorites. Period. I love the art, the story, the characterization. Everything about this manga is just simply wonderful. KailYuri is an amazing pairing, and I hate to see that it's not written about often in the fandom, so I thought I'd try it myself. I hope that y'all enjoy this fic of mine! I know I'll love writing it!_

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**Desert Lily**

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Kail Mursili was not one to be wary of his possessions.

He had everything. He was king, of course, and worldly items were plentiful to him. Jewels, food, water, lavish accessories. Everything was at his disposal. Even the finest and most beautiful women of the land could be summoned and do what he pleased with the bat of an eye. If it wasn't for a particular event in the course of his life, he would be doing just that.

Kail's life was seemingly empty before _she _came, spinning into his life like a wayward top. He would have any women he liked into his bedroom, and they would comply. He never recalled a time where they had resisted him. They had all been willing and able to perform whatever task he wanted, and though it brought him feelings beyond all measure, he still would never find that sense of contentment that most women had after being with him.

Even though the act of sex was the most intimate thing a person could do with another, Kail still couldn't find himself to let his guard down completely. He couldn't lay with any of those women, fall asleep next to them, after the deed was done. It just simply wasn't in his character. And, plus, it was always a possibility that those women were sent to kill him.

So after their lovemaking - if he could call it that, because Kail loved none of the women - he would leave.

Only one of the princesses - a woman by the name of Guzel - had called him out on his ways, "This is no way to live, my Prince."

He had turned, looking toward the relatively beautiful women with long, light-colored hair and kind eyes. She was sitting up, the sheet tucked around her body to keep her from his sight.

"And what do you mean by that, Princess Guzel?"

"All these women...night after night. It must be lonely, not trusting anyone enough to stay with forever...but..." She had looked to be struggling for words, and she eventually ended up saying, "I guess I'm just saying that you deserve happiness, Prince Kail. And you deserve a woman that can be there for you through everything. I only wish that when you find her, you won't let her go."

Kail had looked at her curiously. He knew she wasn't talking about herself, Guzel was far too self-aware for that. Far too modest. Still, he considered her words, "I appreciate your concern. But get some sleep. You have a long journey back tomorrow."

He had left her then, alone in the midst of tangled sheets.

Things had changed since that one late-night talk between two people - not technically considered lovers, but he considered Guzel to be a friend. A trusted friend, and he would try to take her advice. He, however, soon forgot about her words, and went back to his ways. However, when he would leave yet another woman, he couldn't help but feel a bit lonely. Not for the woman in question, but for the fact that none of those women had done anything really to capture his heart.

Now, Prince Kail had turned into King Mursili. Now, this man had the most precious woman in all existence at his side. Sure, it sounded a bit melodramatic, but that was what Kail believed to be true.

And true it was.

This woman, a boyish-looking thing, young and inexperienced, came bounding into his world in a flurry of spring water and strange language. There was nothing that could have stopped him from falling for her, he realized this now.

Yuri was perfect. Intelligent, modest, strong. She had grown up in her time in Hattusa - molded into a lovely young woman with enough tact to outwit even the smartest generals. She was beautiful. Kail could see that from day one when she had arrived in those strange clothes of hers. Many of the women often tried to downplay her beauty, but they were sadly mistaken. Only Yuri could look as good in the short, casual robes that made anyone else look like a commoner.

She was the only woman who had ever rejected him. The only woman who didn't want him for his position or his riches. The only woman who was attracted to the real him. It was something that floored him, that he could ever have a woman who loved him for just that - for _him _and _him _alone. It was something that was only as shocking as the fact that he had found a woman that had captured his heart so completely and utterly as Yuri had.

Again, Kail was not one to be wary of his possessions, but where Yuri was concerned, he was always on edge.

Even after the well had been destroyed and all chances of her leaving him for her other world were gone, he couldn't help but be frightened that she might be taken away from him somehow. It was a cowardly way to think, but Kail loved her so fully that he knew that if anything were to happen to her, he'd be as good as dead, too.

He doesn't worry about her safety all the time - not when she's right in front of him like this. Not when she's in his clear line of vision and when he has his sword on his side. He'd do anything to protect her, this woman who has stolen his heart right from under his nose. Kail was positive that she didn't even know what she was doing when it happened. That was something else that he found completely endearing about her - her innocence. Her sweet naivete.

That very characteristic is staring him in the face right now, making him feel like a man of lesser caliber.

It is a peaceful scene, one that Kail would like to have more often. He had never been a fan of war, and this lovely scene was something that he would love to have etched on the walls of his palace, painted with vigor onto a canvas. However, he knew that those silly things would pale in comparison to the real life version he was witnessing now.

Yuri was wading in the pond in front of him. The crystalline water swirled and danced around her calves, and a small smile graced her mouth. She leaned down and fingered one of the water lilies that stuck out at an odd angle by the shore. Just as she did so, a light wave of water splashed the upper part of her thighs, soaking the back of her robes. Her face turned a brilliant crimson in color and she squeaked slightly, jolting upward.

Kail felt laughter escape him - that was something else that any other woman couldn't do. Make him laugh, truly laugh. Not just the polite laughter that he had to force for everyone else except Yuri.

"Kail!" Yuri shouted in indignation, but a smile was clearly visible on her pretty features. He still couldn't rid the thrill of excitement that coursed through his veins at the sound of her shouting his given name.

He rose from his position on the grassy hill just a few feet from the pond, and walked over to her. The raven haired woman looked at him wonderingly, and he couldn't help but think that she was a vision of everything he had ever wanted in that moment, and for moments to come. A smile graced his lips, and he stepped gracefully down the hill, carrying him with a loose sort of elegance that showed Yuri that his guard was down. Only around her was he like this, and she knew it. She might not think she was deserving, but it was _he _that was not deserving of _her_.

Kail walked toward the pond, before kicking off his shoes and entering the water himself. The weather was warm and nice, perfect for swimming. The water itself was cool and crisp feeling against his bare legs. Yuri looked at him in slight shock, her cheeks coloring even more.

He walked toward her, feeling playful despite himself, and feeling better now that he was actually closer to her. Kail reached for her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She looked up and him and smiled, and then got a quizzical look in her eyes when she saw that Kail was smirking.

"Kail, what - "

Kail lurched himself forward, protecting Yuri in the cage of his arms, and dove them both underneath the surface of the water. Yuri struggled slightly, but he could feel her shoulders shake in silent laughter as he carried them into deeper water. After a few more seconds, both he and Yuri emerged from the surface of the water, panting lightly, but laughing.

How many of those stuffy women would let them do _that _with them?

None.

Only Yuri.

Yuri looked at him, laughing, her black hair plastered around her features, sticking to the pale skin and creating a striking contrast. Kail moved his hand to run through her soaking locks, and brought his lips to hers in a chaste kiss that she returned with a timidity that was something he never was able to rid her of.

The water was deeper here than it was where they had originally been. It was up to Yuri's shoulders, so he hefted her in his arms - she weight practically nothing - and she floated slightly, her legs wrapping gingerly around his waist to keep her position. His head was now level with her collarbone, and he planted a kiss there as well. He felt her skin flush beneath his lips and the thudding of her heart was in his ears. Her thin arms wrapped around his shoulders as she pressed her mouth against his hair.

His fingers grazed the area of her upper thigh, and he felt her shiver lightly.

Yuri looked down at him, her dark eyes betraying everything. There was love, desire, kindness...emotions that Kail could pick out any day, plus many more that he had yet to identify. She was constantly a mystery to him, and yet he thought he knew everything about her.

There was one thing he knew, and he pressed that knowledge into her skin, in the space between her breasts, "I love you."

He felt her laugh, heard it like music in his ears, and the response that stilled his heart, "I love you."

And so they held each other, wading in the crystal-clear water as the sun set around them.

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_**End.**_

_This was super fun to write! I really hope that y'all enjoyed this fic as much as I did writing it. That would be awesome! I'd love to hear what y'all thought about this little fic of mine. It is the first Red River fic that I've written and I really love the pairing. I would love to hear your opinions on this fic of mine, and everything. It would mean a lot to a first-time writer in this fandom._

_Thanks so much for reading! _


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